Among all Muslim holidays, Bayram is one of the most important. Its other name, common among believers, is Eid al-Fitr. It is celebrated for three whole days in a month, in Arabic it is called Shawwal, timed to coincide with the end of the fast of Ramadan. That is why it is also called Ramadan Bairam. We will talk more about this holiday below.
Establishing a holiday
According to Islamic traditions, the holiday of Ramadan Bairam was established by the founder of Islam himself - the Prophet Muhammad. It happened in 624. Since then, the ummah, that is, the worldwide community of believers, celebrates this day every year, as required by their religion.
Image of celebration
In Christianity, during Easter, believers greet each other with the words "Christ is risen!". A similar exclamation on Ramadan Bairam among Muslims is the phrase in Arabic "Eid Mubarak!". It translates as follows: "Blessed holiday!". The days of celebration in most traditionally Muslim countries are considered holidays at the state level, which means that at this timeAlmost everyone has weekends and no one works. The day begins with a ritual bath. Then a visit to the mosque is obligatory, in which a public prayer is held with the reading of a special text - Eid-namaz. This is a special prayer in Arabic dedicated to this holiday, and therefore it is read only once a year.
Features of Eid prayer
This ceremony starts at dawn and continues until lunchtime. At its core, it is a form of prayer. It is best to do it in a mosque together with other believers, but if circumstances prevent this, then prayer can be performed at home alone, but also no later than the lunch azan. In addition to prayer on this day, you need to give zakat - obligatory alms, which is one of the pillars of Islam. Moreover, this should be done before the holiday prayer begins. Ramadan Bayram should be celebrated by all Muslims, these days it is not supposed to mourn, and therefore alms-zakat are most often given to the poor so that they can buy new clothes and eat well.
What do they do on holiday
Like any celebration, Bayram is a holiday where tables are laid and refreshments are put on. Believers go to visit each other and invite them to their place to share a friendly meal. It is also very important to visit your parents and other relatives. If this cannot be done personally, then at least it is required to send a postcard, or somehow conveyyour congratulations. Ramadan Bairam also requires that all the sick, the lonely and the poor are not forgotten. Therefore, religion prescribes paying attention to such people and participating in their lives with a gift, a visit and a treat. Children, as a rule, also receive gifts from their parents and spend time in games and fun. Also, deceased relatives are not forgotten in Bayram. The holiday assumes that believers will visit the graves of their dead and perform funeral prayers for them. As for the enemies, the traditions of this day require a person to reconcile with everyone with whom he was in a quarrel, and make peace.
There is also a special tradition to pray on the night before the holiday. According to Islamic traditions, prayers offered at night on the eve of the Bayram holiday have a special power - the ear of Allah is especially attentive to them, and if a person pronounces them sincerely, then they are credited to a person. The only thing is that it is recommended not to abuse the vigils on the festive night, so as not to oversleep the most important prayer in the mosque in the morning.
Meaning of the holiday
In general, in Islam there are only two dates of Muslim holidays, the significance of which is so great. In addition to Bayram described above, this is Eid-ul-Adha - the day dedicated to the completion of the pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca to the Kaaba. Bayram, as mentioned above, is the result of the Ramadan fast, in which every believer is prescribed to abstain from food, drink, entertainment and intimacy until sunset. This is done in order to temper willpower, free up time forspiritual exercises, engage in good deeds, pacify desires and extinguish your passions. Both Hajj and fasting are efforts on oneself, undertaken in order to advance along the path offered by Islam. It is the completion of successful spiritual work that is celebrated on these great holidays. At the same time, existing moral norms require Muslims to maintain in themselves the level of perfection that was achieved during these pious exercises. That is, the end of the holy fast of Ramadan does not mean that now you can return to all your old sins and bad habits. Quite the opposite, leaving once, they must be left forever, and thus the time of fasting becomes a time of inner transformation. This is necessary to arouse Allah's pleasure and approval.
